This is? Vivian peered at the overlay diagram of Jaden's body. A daunting mass had distorted and warped the image in places. It sent globules probing throughout his body which pulsed as they traveled, creating shockwaves. Vivian recoiled disgustedly.

That would be [email protected]$%^&*n or [email protected]&d.

A potent electrical shock embraced Sasha unexpectedly. Her discomfort and part of the current bled through her link with Vivian before she was able to sever the connection.

Why is it garbled? Sasha, are you okay? Sasha? Hey, what happened?

Sasha, I would appreciate you not showing Mother anything she doesn't need to see. Jaden warned. When he continued, his tone had softened. It may be time to adjust this body for the problems ahead; It's too dangerous to use the void, and I can't do what needs to be done in this body as it is right now.

As you wish, Creator.

"Jaden," Vivian shrugged off the haziness from the shock. A sense of loss and emptiness permeated her being. "What's going on? What happened to Sasha?"

"Just a bit of maintenance," he replied.

"Don't lie to me," Vivian snapped. He peeked in her direction and shivered involuntarily from the evident anger in her gaze, but he said no more.

There is interference from the Void, proceed anyway?

Yes.

Anyone else would have said no.

I created you. As such, I have full faith you won't screw this up.

I'm torn. Why do I feel pride filling me and anger boiling over?

That must be a bug.

Such slander! I'll show you!

Jaden held his head ruefully for a moment. Sasha had poured everything she could into a mental shock. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor unconscious.

A void aura seeped undeterred from his body. Vivian and Araya were first to dash toward him. When they came in contact with the aura, Araya stopped dead and grabbed hold of Vivian as she had shown no intention of stopping. "Are you insane?"

The plantlife caught within range wilted as life was stripped from it. The once fragile flowers and stalks of grass withered, warped, and contorted unnaturally into a mass of deathly chaos.

"This is a bad omen," Araya's nose twitched as the pungent stench of death and decay assaulted her senses. She retreated, pulling Vivian with her.

Sasha, what the hell is happening to my son?!

Just a slight complication from when I started augmenting his body in preparation for the future.

The future? Vivian echoed and shook her head, clearing the distraction away. What is this substance coming from my son? It feels like a dweomer, but I've never experienced anything like this before.

Do keep away from it, I hadn't expected the Void to manifest itself like this.

Do whatever it takes to save my son. Anything you have to do, do it!

Thank you, Captain Obvious. How about some helpful instructions next? Although your confirmation has removed all limitations I had in this matter.

Is there anything I can do?

I'm not even sure there's anything I can do.

Anya felt a portion of her territory die. A terrifying presence that she had encountered once before. If not for Jaden, who knows what would have happened back then. She isolated the infected area from her land and created a makeshift containment field while tugging on the skill she bestowed to Vivian, [Nature's Guardian], to support it. Anya separated the core of her being from the heart of her home, the giant tree that stood proudly overlooking the surrounding lands, and allowed herself to be swallowed into the ground.

We must flee from here. I have created a temporary confinement measure to protect you all from this--whatever it is. It is only a matter of time before it breaks free.

The earth split open, and Anya appeared from within the opening. Her voice had never carried this tone of seriousness before. She gathered them together in her vines, pulled them underground, and whisked them away to the far end of her territory without hesitation.

"Anya, let me go!" Vivian struggled to return to her son, growing more frantic and determined as she felt the sinister aura growing behind her.

Mother, he is beyond us and anything we can do.

Sparks exploded accompanied by a cacophony, transforming into streaks of lightning that circled the confines of the magical barrier. The void continued surging forth from Jaden's unconscious body, filling the tiny prison and growing denser with every passing moment.

A dome of thick black and grey smoke masked the inside, obscuring Jaden and the twisted land within.

Critical mass achieved, the prison shattered like glass. The smoke rose into the air before collapsing upon itself. It rolled over the land in an unstoppable tidal wave. Seizing. Consuming. Corrupting. In its wake, blood-curdling wails from the animals it touched transformed the peace and tranquility into an ominous song of anguish.

Anya pushed the group as quickly as she could through the earth, drawing on everything she knew to stay ahead of the void. Her vines had cracked and softened the path ahead, forging the escape route. She strained her abilities to their limits, sending her precious cargo ripping through the earth even faster than Isa chasing after a maupia. Her complexion paled, the effects of her efforts making themselves known. She pushed on, ignoring the perspiration that soaked her grasslike hair and ran down her face, nearly forgetting one important fact. They were approaching the edge of her territory. And quickly.

Isa had perched herself silently on Vivian's shoulder. The two mothers shared a look of equal worry over their young.

I can go no further. Anya broke through the surface and deposited the group outside her territory, then turned to return to Jaden. Isa, please see them to safety.

"What are you planning to do?" Vivian reached for Anya.

Go. You are no longer welcome here. Vivian felt a malevolent aura like a solid wall crash into her; it pushed her away to the edge of Anya's influence.

"ANYA!" Vivian's protest fell on deaf ears.

In the distance, the fire fountain illuminating the sky vanished behind a smokey veil. The void was drawn to the divine flame, like a moth. A swirling vortex of smoke formed and clashed with the fire.

You don't have much time. Flee while you can! Anya vanished into the ground.

Vivian, I've lost contact with Jaden.

I was counting on you to fix this mess!

I'm afraid all I have right now is Plan B: RUN!

But!

Look here. The void is distracted by something. But once it deals with whatever it is, there will be no escape.

"Then what's the point of running?!" Vivian shouted, startling those around her.

More time before the void devours you?

"Isa?" Vivian turned to her shoulder, "when did she leave? Where did she go?"

Emily silently tugged on Vivian's pant leg, which had drawn her attention. The little one wordlessly pointed into the smokey abyss they just fled from.

"Daryl, Lulu," Vivian turned gravely to the couple. "Get everyone away from here."

Sasha, you have one chance at this. I need protection from the void. Vivian watched as the two of them lead the others away.

You are aware that running would give me more time, right? When you step in there and die don't blame me for your stupidity.

Vivian placed her hands on the invisible barrier surrounding Anya's territory, she put her weight against it, preparing to force her way in.

What happened to the cautious "I must survive no matter what"?

You happened.

Damn it, that's not fair! Still, please reconsider while I figure something out.

Less complaining, more doing. Vivian's hands sank into the barrier, and she stepped through.